Witness Protection
by Avalon Quincy
Summary: Things were never complicated in Rosemarie Mazur's life unless it had something to do with her horses, that is until on one night she sees a murder, a murder that will change everything.


**Witness Protection**

**Beta: ItaSaku1**

**Rating: M**

**Progress: Inprogress**

I run my hands over his smooth coat, trying to check for any swellings, cuts. Nothing. After checking for cuts I cure him. The process doesn't take very long, with some of the newer horses it does, but not for this one. Hazel, who has been given his name because of his color, is the oldest horse here. He's the first horse my dad ever gave to me. I was only five years old and he was only a few weeks old. I was so happy that I finally had a horse of my own. He was so hard to take care of at first, and it didn't help that I had just been taught how to take care of a horse. It's been fifteen years since then. We've both grown up, I've become more skilled at taking care of Hazel and all of the other horses here at the Ranch, and Hazel knows what to do when I take care of him. It's become a very simple, fast thing with him.

"Good boy," I say after we finish. "Are you ready to be brushed?"

He huffs and moves his head as if he were nodding. I brush his soft mane and tail before picking his hooves and then brushing those with a hard brush, then a soft one.

"I swear this saddle is just as heavy as you are." I say as I place the saddle on Hazel. After tightening the girth I check to make sure it's fitting him just right. I move the reins over Hazel's head and put the bit into his mouth. Hazel doesn't mind me doing this anymore. When we both were young Hazel would toss his head up so that I wouldn't be able to put the bit into his mouth and I would need my dad to help me. I lead Hazel out to the riding area and then check the girth on the saddle again. You can never be too careful when it comes to the saddle.

"You ready?" I ask him as I gently move my hand over his mane. He nods and I smile. "Ok," I kiss the top of his head and then climb onto him. "We're not going to ride for very long today, Hazel, just long enough for you to get some good exercise."

This is my favorite part of the day, riding Hazel. Around an hour in I see Mason walking over to the wood fence we have set around the horses riding area. I smile and ride Hazel over to him.

"Hey!" I say with a smile.

"Hey, Hazel's riding well."

"Yeah, he is."

"Do you want me to fill up his water bucket so that once you're done you can bring him over here and then I can help you clean up the horses stalls?"

"That'd be great, thanks Mase." He smiles and goes to get some fresh water for the horse's water bucket. I only ride Hazel for around fifteen minutes more until taking him over to the now filled water bucket. I get off of Hazel and lead him over to the bucket. "Thanks Mason."

"Course, you already ride the other horses?"

"Yeah, I say as I begin to remove his saddle. "I always ride the other horses first."

Mason and I walk to the stables and go to Hazel's stall first so that I can put up his saddle.

"So you and Hazel looked good out there." Mason says as he tosses me a pitch fork. I catch it with ease.

"Thanks," Mason brings in the wheel barrel and the two of us begin to clean up the stalls. After we're finished with each one the two of us close up the barn and head to my house which is around twenty meters away.

I've lived on this ranch my whole life with my father. It used to be me and my parents, but my mom left us when I was seven. I don't know why she left us, my dad does, but we never talk about it. I used to ask about her when I was younger, when she first left, but I stopped when I saw how upset it made my father. So ever since then it's just been the two of us in our huge house on our huge ranch. Mason and I walk into the kitchen and I sit on one of the stools at the island. Mason grabs two apples and he tosses me one.

"Thanks," he nods and sits up across from me.

"So, is there a new offer?" Mason asks me before taking a bite of the apple. I let out a small sigh and nod.

"Yeah, there is. I don't know why they keep making it higher and higher, they know we aren't going to sell."

For the past year Nathan Ivashkov, the owner of Ivashkov Industries has been giving my father offers on the ranch. He wants it, bad. I don't know why he wants it and I don't know what he wants to do with it, but it doesn't matter. My father would never sell the ranch; he's always owned it, ever since my grandfather died. The ranch has been in my family for years.

"Your dad giving in?"

"Hell no, absolutely not. And he's never going to give in, they aren't getting the ranch." I set the apple down and remove my baggy purple and blue plaid button-up shirt so that I'm just dressed in my boots, white tank-top and jeans. I usually don't wear plaid, just when I'm out working with the horses, it feels right to wear.

"Good because finding work is such a bitch." I nod. Mason works here at the ranch for my father, and before that he was trying to find work, my father felt bad that he couldn't and offered him a job here, my father doesn't regret hiring him. We both trust Mason and work well with him. "So, where is your dad?"

"He's out right now getting some groceries."

"I thought he asked you to do that."

"Yeah, I was slacking, he got tired of waiting for me and decided to just do it himself." Mason smiles and takes another bite of his apple.

"Well, it's getting late, I think I'm gonna head home." I nod and set down my apple.

"Okay, drive safely."

"I always do." He walks over to my side of the island and we hug before he heads out of the house. After hearing the door close I let out a little huff and then get off the stool. I head upstairs and to my bedroom. I throw the last of my apple into the trash in my bathroom and then start up a bath. While the water fills into the porcelain tub I go back into my bedroom and strip and put on my silk red robe. I sit down on my bed and begin to put my hair up into a bun as my border collie, Luke, walks into the room. He jumps up beside me and rests his head on my waist.

"Hey Lukie, I'm sorry babe but I got to go get into my bath, I'm all sweaty." I get up off the bed and Luke jumps down to the ground. I walk to the bathroom and he follows me. He lies down and rests his head on his paws as I get into the hot water. It isn't long after getting in that I fall asleep; luckily I didn't fill it up high enough that I could possibly drown.

When I wake up I wake up to a loud bark. I sit up in the bath and see that Luke is no longer in the bathroom. I check to see what time it is on my phone. Two in the morning. I wonder why my dad didn't come in to wake me up. How long ago did he get home? Is he home?

I jump out of my bath and put my robe on. My dad should have been back at least around twelve, unless he hit traffic or something. He had to go all the way out to town to get groceries. Another bark. I hurry down the stairs and towards the room where I heard the barking. I stop when I get to the kitchen, no one's there. I look around the room and see Luke in by the door that leads downstairs to the basement.

"Lukie, what's going on?" I ask as I walk over to him. He barks again and begins to claw at the door. I stop walking when I feel pain going through my right foot. I step back and lift up my right foot to examine it. There are little bits of glass in it. I look down at the ground and see shards of glass. I turn slightly to the right as I gently set my foot down. The windows shattered, it's as if someone broke into it. The curtains are blowing as the wind hits them. Luke barks again and I know I have to ignore the pain in my foot. I jump over the rest of the glass and walk to the door. I turn the knob. It won't open, the doors locked. I didn't even know this door could be locked. I begin to fight with the knob, trying to get the door to open. Luke begins to scratch at the bottom of the door as I try to get downstairs. A loud yell freezes me. It came from downstairs… my dad! I try even harder to get downstairs and when that won't work. I grip the knob and throw my shoulder into it. That breaks the lock and I stop myself from falling down the stairs.

"Dad!" I yell as I race down the stairs. "Dad!"

I get to the bottom of the stairs and scream as I see a man dressed in black standing over my dad. I can't see his face because the hood on his head is up. The man has stabbed a knife into my father's shoulder; it's too close to his heart, way too close.

"Daddy!" I scream. The man stands up as my father falls to the ground. I look up at the man. "You sonofabitch!" I scream as I run to my father, past him. The man doesn't even touch me, just runs up the stairs. What did he want? Our things? "Daddy… daddy…!"

He looks up at me and takes my hand in his. "I… I'm going to go call the cops!" I start to stand up but he stops me.

"N-no… there's no point. I… they won't get here on time. I-I'm not going to make it."

"No! Daddy, you can't die, you can't." I say as I begin to sob. "Daddy you can't."

"It was bound to happen eventually… now, I-I need you to take care of the ranch, don't give into the Ivaskov's offers… never give in."

I shake my head. "No, Daddy please, please!"

"Rosemarie, I love you, I'll always love you, but I can't live forever."

"I don't need forever, I know I can't have forever, but I need you now, Daddy I love you!"

"I love you too, Rosemarie." He moves his hand to the back of my neck and pulls my head down. He kisses my forehead and then drops his hand. "I'll always love you."

I cry as I watch my father's eyes slowly close.

"Daddy… please… please…." One of my tears fall from my cheeks and onto his forehead. "No… please don't die. Please." I say as I lay down beside him. I wrap my arm over his waist and cry harder. "Please… I need you. I love you."

-Avalon


End file.
